Former militant leaders of the Niger Delta yesterday berated politicians from the region that are seen to be working against the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
The ex-militants, numbering about 600 under the auspices of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, LPCDI, in a communiqué issued at the end of its delegates’ meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the agitation by some militants and politicians in the region were done without the consent of the people.
The communiqué which was signed by by the group’s President and leaders, Reuben Wilson, Kalaiti Jephthah and others, noted that genuine ex-militants in the region had reviewed the overall performance of the President and resolved that he has performed well enough to deserve a second term.
They said: “We have heard lots of rumours that we are against the President. We are declaring our support for him and pleading with the other geo-political zones to support him for 2015.
“Jonathan knows the pains of the people and he is the right person needed to consolidate on the ongoing development plans experienced in the country.”
Continuing, the group said: “Jonathan is capable. Just recently, he showed his peaceful and fatherly disposition by visiting the northern part of the country to sustain his efforts at resolving the issue of insecurity in the area.
“It was Jonathan that visited the creeks, as Vice-President and convinced us to embrace amnesty. He has the mind to develop the region.”
They also reminded the Federal Government of the proposed renewal of the multi-million naira oil pipeline surveillance contract in the Niger Delta which they said is necessary in order to effectively curtail the activities of pipeline vandals and illegal bunkerers in the creeks of the region.
“We know the terrain and the pipeline routes. We can protect the lines and reduce the recent cases of bunkering,” part of the communiqué reads.
The ex-militant leaders commended the coordinator of the presidential amnesty programme for ex-militants – Honourable Kingsley Kuku, for the implementation of the amnesty programme.
u cant speak for GEJ,let him come out and allow the peoples votes to tell us if he d right man or not. Mr.militant u a not a politician,ok……..try to watch carefully.
Now this is very surprising,you people are animals,what a joke?So GEJ is the right man,huh?You are so childish mr millitant,go make use of time pls,stpo wasting it here,your God sent president has done NOTHING to show in this counrty,Bayelsa inclusive,think pls,or are you drunk?